2016 Jaguar F-Type Maintains Its Lead
It’s a self-evident fact that there’s something special about the Jaguar F-Type. You just have to look at the car to know that it’s fast, comfortable, and altogether civilized.
Forget Aston-Martin, because this is the car that James Bond would choose in 2016. Perhaps the best thing about the Jaguar F-Type is that you can choose from 14 different configurations to suit your personal preferences. Even the tailors on London’s Savile Row don’t give you that many options.
The first choice to make is convertible or coupe. The F-Type comes as a fixed-head fastback coupe, or with a high-quality convertible top. Performance enthusiasts will prefer the coupe, but for my money a little top speed is a fair tradeoff for wind in the hair. Next, you can choose your engine. Jaguar starts with a healthy 3.0-liter supercharged V6 engine, and you can select the basic F-Type tuning with 340 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque tune, or the more aggressive F-Type S with 380 horsepower tuning, with 339 pound-feet of torque. Or you can upgrade to the F-Type R, with a 5.0-liter supercharged V8 engine delivering a whopping 550 horsepower and 502 pound-feet of torque.
Finally, you can choose your driveline. The basic F-Type and F-Type S with rear-wheel-drive offer a choice of 6-speed manual or 8-speed automatic transmission. The F-Type S with all-wheel-drive requires the automatic transmission, as does the F-Type R in rear- or all-wheel-drive. After you’ve made all those choices, there’s still room to customize your F-Type. The optional Sport Design Pack includes an aerodynamic splitter, custom door sills, and a fixed rear spoiler on the coupe.
Inside, you can opt for the basic Jaguar InControl infotainment system with 180 watt amplifier, or a 380 watt Meridian audio system. If you want to go over the top, you can opt for Meridian’s outstanding 770 watt surround sound system. All of the infotainment systems feature an 8-inch capacitive touchscreen with Jaguar’s custom user interface. All support standard gesture controls such as ‘swipe’ to skip tracks or flip pages, and ‘drag’ to scroll through maps, and all support a suite of InControl apps with your smartphone.
There’s even a Jaguar app for your phone that allows you to lock or unlock the car remotely, reset the car alarm, and check status information. The app also allows you to start the F-Type engine remotely in case you want to heat or cool the cabin before driving. No matter what choices you make, you’re getting a top-level luxury sports car, with a full suite of technology features. Driving the F-Type is a pure pleasure, with plenty of power on tap at any speed and razor-sharp responsive handling. Yet it’s still comfortable, quiet, and refined.
The 2016 F-Type starts at $65,995 for a base coupe with manual transmission. The convertible starts at $69,095 with a manual transmission. Choosing the automatic adds $1,300 to the sticker price. Prices range up to $107,595 for the F-Type R with all-wheel-drive. Options are extra, of course.
2016 Jaguar F-Type Specifications
Base Price: $65,995
Body Type: Two-door sports coupe or convertible
Engine: 3.0-liter supercharged V6 at 380 horsepower or 5.0-liter supercharged V8 at 550 horsepower
Driveline Layout: Front-engine, rear- or all-wheel-drive
Transmission: 6-speed manual or 8-speed automatic
MPG: 19 city/28 highway
Road Noise: Very Quiet
